In all of its incarnations (comics, tie-in novels, video games, TV shows), AMC’s The Walking Dead has never been afraid of pushing boundaries in its exploration of human-on-human violence, and what we’re capable of in a world devoid of moral barriers.

In the brutal world of The Walking Dead, groups form, alliances (and enemies) are frequently made, communities fall, and people fight for survival, dominance, or both. With the finale of The Walking Dead having concluded the show, take a look back at some of the most memorable knock-out brawls.

7Alpha Vs. Daryl

Except for The Governor (David Morrissey) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), villains in The Walking Dead often had a very short shelf life. At least until the second half of season nine introduced the terrifying cult leader Alpha (Samantha Morton) and her army, The Whisperers.

In season 10, Daryl (Norman Reedus) ambushed the primitivist in the woods. Alpha gained the upper hand by fighting dirty when Daryl was distracted by a mini herd. She retrieved her sawed-off shotgun and followed a wounded Daryl deeper into the woods. After her acolytes found her, she resolved to use her hoard to destroy the communities. It is low on the list because we all wanted a Carol (Melissa McBride) and an Alpha brawl, but Daryl will have to do.

6Carol Vs. The Wolves

Carol had been keeping a low profile after her decimation of Terminus and integration into The Alexandria Safe Zone. Her wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing routine had fooled the residents, and she seemed to be reveling in the role of domestic expert.

When the majority of the fighters are relocating a herd from a quarry, a merciless group of killers, The Wolves, attack Alexandria. Killer Carol quickly re-emerges, and she single-handedly takes on the small army of psychopaths. Cleverly disguising herself as a Wolf, she systematically slaughters the invaders in this violent and exhilarating episode.

5Dawn Vs. O’ Donnell

The hospital storyline from season five is one of the least successful plots in the show’s early(ish) days. Lt. Dawn Lerner (Christine Woods) was a volatile and somewhat corrupt cop in The Grady Memorial Hospital. Beth (Emily Kinney) had been abducted after the prison assault and was forced into servitude by Dawn in exchange for food and shelter.

Dawn’s grasp on power was beginning to slip, and she started to see Beth as a potential ally, someone who could help her control the corrupt and dirty cops under her command. During a conversation, one of Dawn’s men overheard Beth’s confession about killing one of the men. A confrontation broke out between Dawn and O. Donnell (Ricky Wayne) and with Beth’s assistance, he was pushed down an elevator shaft (which would receive a callback in a subsequent epic fight).

4Michonne Vs. The Governor

The Walking Dead really found its footing during the third season and incorporated so many elements that made the show so groundbreaking. The third mid-season finale culminated in a fight between mysterious samurai Michonne (Danai Gurai), and season Big Bad The Governor (David Morrissey), and it wasn’t pretty. Michonne harbored a deep mistrust of The Governor, even after he welcomed both her and Andrea (Laurie Holden) into Woodbury.

After Rick had rescued his friends from the clutches of The Governor, Michonne went back solo, for a confrontation. She discovered fish tanks full of severed walker heads and The Governor’s pet walker daughter, Penny. The Governor pleaded with Michonne to spare his daughter; she put her down, and they fought. Tanks got smashed, severed heads snapped on the wet floor, and Michonne stabbed him in the eye with a shard of glass. She would’ve finished the job had Andrea not shown up and saved him.

3Leah Vs. Maggie

Lynn Collins’ ruthless mercenary Leah was a welcome addition to the many fine performances in The Walking Dead, offering fandom an insight into Daryl’s romantic life, something that stoked the fires of speculation for years. Leah was a high-ranking member of the brutal group The Reapers and their sole purpose was to seek out and destroy entire communities. Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan) was a survivor of one of their take-over attempts and enlisted Negan, Darryl, and several red coats to take out The Reapers and bring some much-needed supplies back to Alexandria.

They triumphed over The Reapers and Leah managed to escape. In 11B’s mid-season finale, a ruthless Leah was recruited by Commonwealth bureaucrat Lance (Josh Hamilton) to assassinate Maggie. Leah captured Maggie; Maggie escaped and a brief, but a well-choreographed and brutal fight broke out between the two women. Maggie held her own against the military-trained Leah until the more skilled fighter had her cornered. Leah was beating Maggie to death until Daryl shot her in the head.

2Carol Vs. Terminus/Mary

Melissa McBride’s character arc on AMC’s The Walking Dead is perhaps the most compelling, grim, and believable of all the show’s main characters and the one that deviated most effectively from her comic-book counterpart. The once-meek Carol Peletier was never your archetypal post-apocalyptic badass, like the sword-wielding Michonne (Danai Gurai).

But all that changed over four seasons, with her emerging in the fifth season premiere “Strangers” as a battle-hardened warrior with a brand new, excessively violent, adapt-or-die-screaming approach to liberating her friends from the Terminus ghouls. She finished off her merciless assault in spectacularly cold fashion by leaving the Terminus’ cannibal matriarch Mary (Pet Semetary’s Denise Crosby) to the walkers.

1Beta Vs. Daryl

Beta (Ryan Hurst) was one of the best villains in The Walking Dead, a gigantic nightmarish brute and Alpha’s second-in-command. Daryl, Connie (Lauren Ridlof), Henry (Macsen Lintz), Dog, and Lydia (Cassady McClincy) fled The Whisperer camp with Beta in pursuit. They took shelter in an abandoned building and fortified it with traps which Beta easily overcame, being able to spot a trap from a mile away.

When they breach the building and find their way to the top floor, there begins an epic battle between Beta and Daryl. Beta throws Daryl around like a rag-doll, easily deflecting his blows, and hides under the floor. Beta mocks and laughs at Daryl, his way of life, his weakness… Until Daryl sneaks up from behind and pushes him into an elevator shaft.